Randomness Rants Reflections

Category Archives: fitness

Thirteen days ago, we boarded an early morning flight to Las Vegas. Sounds like a fun way to spend a Friday and Saturday night, right? The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas: five-star restaurants, A-list nightclubs, first class casinos, that all sounds like a decadent way to pass the time with loved ones. But no, our trip to Las Vegas was all about family. We travelled there to support our hula ‘ohana who had lost a family member. And we planned to take time out to visit our dear friend and Uncle who were in the hospital. Needless to say, I didn’t pack the red stilettos and body con dress.

We arrived before 9am on Friday and were greeted at the airport by our Aunty. She brought us to the house to pick up our Uncle who had just been released from the hospital. His health has been shaky for a few months and he was admitted to the hospital for MRIs and other tests. Uncle felt frustrated about being in the hospital again but the doctors feared that he had been experiencing strokes because he was passing out at work and falling down while on duty. He is getting up in age and definitely needs to slow down but trying to tell a Grand Master in martial arts is not an easy feat. This time, it seemed that slowing down was no longer an option, Uncle understood and had accepting it as his new reality.

Because we arrived so early, Uncle was sleeping when we walked in the house. It took some time for him to completely wake up and his speech was slurred. When we offered to take him and Aunty to their favorite casino for a buffet breakfast, that woke him up! We all piled into the van and drove to Arizona Charlie’s, a local casino. The breakfast buffet was simple but Uncle got his fill and more. We caught up on our lives to date and shared plans for Christmas. I was happy to share that Kanoe and I visited with Uncle Joe in Seattle and that he sent his love to them. It is always nice to have time alone with the elders in the family. They always share so many stories of training and tournaments in the past, we have to hold on to the values that they founded our martial arts schools upon. Dojos aren’t supposed to be money machines. We have a duty to teach our art to students and hopefully grow students who will continue to pass along the knowledge. Tournaments and belt ranks are fun and somewhat flashy but we need to hold fast to our core values. The martial arts are about Respect, Humility, Discipline, Leadership, Confidence, Self-Defense and Family. Family is our foundation. We are obliged to support our family in everything we teach.

And family was the main reason why we arrived so early. After breakfast, we brought Uncle with us to the hospital so we could visit our dear friend and her husband. She had been in the hospital since November because she needed to have a heart valve replaced. The surgery went well but there were unexpected complications. We wanted to visit her to show her that we love her and to see if there was anything we could do to support her husband, who is a lifelong friend of Butch’s. It was such a nice visit, her husband’s daughter was there and Uncle stayed with us while we chatted. She looked beautiful, the nurses had just washed her long, gorgeous black hair and she was sitting up in the hospital bed listening to music and chatting. The men, except for Uncle, went for a walk to bond. Apparently, that is code for going outside to smoke a cigarette. We stayed in the room to talk. Uncle shared that he had just gotten out of the hospital and that he just knew that she was going to going home soon. Our friend’s daughter cracked jokes as she attentively tended to her needs – water, suction, all the little details and needs that pop up when one is recovering from surgery and a long hospital stay. The nurses came in to check on medications, fluids, etc. The doctor came in to make an adjustment to one medication and follow-up on tests that were being scheduled. Everything seemed to be in order and we left to check into our hotel after a couple of hours.

That night, we just had a big dinner and hung out near the hotel. The funeral was the next morning across town. We definitely didn’t have a “what happens in Vegas” kind of Friday night that evening.

Saturday morning we grabbed a cab to the LDS church across town. We made it just in time for to see Uncle S before they closed the casket before the memorial. His students had travelled from Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, all over the country to say their good-byes. A few of my hula sisters from California travelled to the memorial because we had learned Maori songs and hula from Uncle S over the last twenty years or so. We also wanted to support our Kumu Hula, his older brother, who was devastated by the loss. The memorial was beautiful, filled with music and singing and testimony. The family is blessed with God-given talent for music, especially singing and their dedication to their Church was evident throughout the memorial. We went to the cemetery for a final good-bye and a few songs. It was a lovely memorial for a very special man.

A week later, my niece/second cousin (as if Filipinos care about second or third cousin categories) married her longtime boyfriend. They have a beautiful daughter together and they are truly dedicated to one another and their family. I couldn’t attend the wedding but I felt comforted by the idea that life goes on, despite the loss that we had recently experienced. Marriage and babies show us that life is indeed to be lived all in, every moment of every day.

And today, as we putted around the house this morning, we received a message from our friend in Vegas. He said he had appreciated our visit when we were in town and that his wife had passed on to her next life that morning. I called out to Butch, who was just sitting down to have breakfast. I asked him if he had his phone. He walked toward me and could tell I was about to share some shocking news. I read the message to him as the tears welled up in my eyes and my voice cracked with each word. I broke down and sobbed in his arms, it was not the sort of news I expected to hear about her. He quickly called our friend and received a cliff note version of what had transpired. She had passed away just a few hours before and we were all reeling from the shock.

I didn’t have a purpose for writing any of this down. There are no breakthrough words of comfort that I have to share. My heart is aching for her, for her husband and for her family. She and I were talking in the hospital about how important it is for all of us to be committed to a healthy lifestyle. She said to me, “Sis, after my husband being in the hospital for heart surgery last year, I never thought I would be here one year later. This is no bullshit. We have to be healthy and take care of ourselves. Take care of your man. You stay healthy. Take care of your beautiful daughter because this hospital shit is no joke.” She and her husband had a fierce love that no one could refute. All she wanted was to be home with him. We talked about how she would be home soon to recover and how great it would be for her to sleep in her own bed. How much easier her recovery would be when she was surrounded by her own stuff and nurses and doctors weren’t coming in every hour to poke her and prod her and wake her up. She just wanted to go home and be surrounded by her family, that became her goal. We all need to think about what we really need to be happy and healthy. The foundation of it all has to be family and at the core of the family it must be love. Rest in Love, Sweet Pam. We know you’re up in heaven watching over all of us.

Ikigai (生き甲斐, pronounced [ikiɡai]) is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” It is similar to the French phrase Raison d’être. Everyone, according to Japanese culture, has an ikigai. Finding it requires a deep and often lengthy search of self. Such a search is important to the cultural belief that discovering one’s ikigai brings satisfaction and meaning to life.[1] Examples include work, hobbies and raising children.[2]

In the culture of Okinawa, ikigai is thought of as “a reason to get up in the morning”; that is, a reason to enjoy life. In a TED Talk, Dan Buettner suggested ikigai as one of the reasons people in the area had such long lives.[4]

The word ikigai is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile. Secondly, the word is used to refer to mental and spiritual circumstances under which individuals feel that their lives are valuable. It’s not necessarily linked to one’s economic status or the present state of society. Even if a person feels that the present is dark, but they have a goal in mind, they may feel ikigai. Behaviours that make us feel ikigai are not actions we are forced to take—these are natural and spontaneous actions.

In the article named Ikigai — jibun no kanosei, kaikasaseru katei (“Ikigai: the process of allowing the self’s possibilities to blossom”) Kobayashi Tsukasa says that “people can feel real ikigai only when, on the basis of personal maturity, the satisfaction of various desires, love and happiness, encounters with others, and a sense of the value of life, they proceed toward self-realization.”[1][5]

My Ikigai is to stay active and perpetuate the rich API culture through my hobbies – dancing hula, paddling outriggers, and teaching karate. Working out in the dojo taught me more about surviving and thriving in Corporate America as a single mom than any self-help seminar or MBA could have. Recently, I opened a karate dojo as my passion project. We focus on the values of Respect, Discipline, and Self-Confidence to help our students find their Ikigai.

I’ve been asked to speak at a conference this summer. It will probably be my last national presentation as a leader at the Japanese car company where I have been employed for almost nineteen years. As a diversity leader, I can make a presentation and share insights, stories, and experiences with attendees around career development or business strategies. That is bland and dry as over toasted Wonder Bread. The sound of the teacher from “Peanuts” would be echoing in my own ears as I spoke on that topic. Blah, blah, blah, diversity, blah, blah, blah, business impact, blah, blah, blah, leadership, blah, blah, blah. Instead, I want to tell a story. I want to share some thoughts on standout moments and lessons learned from my leadership journey as a small business owner, karate instructor and brand-new Shodan.

The conference is by far my favorite event of the year. It is an event designed to bring together multicultural women from corporations all over the globe. It takes place in NYC and it provides an outlet for high-achieving and high potential multicultural women to be confident, courageous and take the next steps in paving the way for a stronger, more inclusive, and more trusting environment. The theme for this year’s conference, Race to Trust, reflects an intention to create a conference that inspires higher cross-cultural understanding and explores concerns among women that trust in the workplace is on the decline due to the current cultural and social trends. My favorite part of this conference is meeting powerful and inspirational women of color from different industries and I have made several friends at the event over the years.

If I think about this opportunity as my last, I have to consider what my legacy will be. My biggest accomplishment at the Japanese car company where I have been employed for almost 19 years are employee resource groups. We started with 2 in 2001, just as pilots, while I worked with HR, Legal, and senior leaders to craft a policy that made all levels of the organization comfortable. Now there are over 60 chapters across North America, with new groups being created in offices in Canada, Baja, and Puerto Rico. I was dubbed the “Godmother of Business Partnering Groups.” Where’s my fairy dust and magic wand???

However, I think that a presentation about 2016 would be more interesting to me. We discovered that our dojo was operating without a business license or insurance for years, as we were told that we were losing the lease to our old studio. I elected to become the small business owner created the S-Corp, purchased all the insurance and licenses, found a location, and continue my quest to become an instructor. During the Summer of 2016, we taught karate in my backyard, on the stiff grass. It wasn’t until late July 2016 that we moved into the new studio.

Now I am processing all of the emotions that I experienced last year to get the business launched. All of this happened while I faced the end of my tenure with the Japanese automotive company where I continued to work full time, my daughter started her senior year of high school, and my boyfriend finalized his divorce. Stress on top of stress on top of change on top of stress. 2016 weighed heavily on my shoulders… more to come

So far, 2017 has rolled over me. We have lost family members and friends in our personal lives. That means memorial services, funerals and lots and lots of tears. At times, I’ve had to be strong enough to hold my loved ones up. Other times, I’ve cried into my pillow or sobbed in the parking lot at work to let it out. We hosted family from out of state after being away for a week for SuperGrands and sandwiched in between the sorrow, I’ve had to travel for business so I can network for my future career. 2017 has been whirlwind of frenetic activity.
My intention was to start training for my next race back in November 2016. I wanted to train for 12 weeks to work on my race pace. My goal was achievable but challenging. In my first half marathon back in 2012, I ran a 13 minute mile and finished the race in 3 hours. Somehow that race wound up being 13.98 miles instead of 13.1 but whatever. A 13 minute mile for a half marathon is my race pace when I don’t prepare and the weather conditions are mild, not too hot or cold.

My best time has been a 13.64 mile race at 12:21 miles/minute and a time of 2 hours 48 minutes. That race was the 2015 Avengers Half Marathon, which I did in conjunction with the Captain America 10K. The two races together were marketed by RunDisney as the “Infinity Gauntlet Challenge – a 10K early Saturday morning and a half marathon the next morning on Sunday. I took that training really seriously because I was concerned about whether my body could handle that many miles over one weekend because #ihaterunning. That training paid off: my body was in very good shape, my stamina was excellent, and my confidence was very high. The root of those positive results: fit body, better stamina and higher self-confidence, are founded in core values for the dojo, two that we carry-over from Rabago Shorin Ryu: Discipline and Respect. I would like to add a third core value that I want to include for Togisala Shorin Ryu Dojo: Humility.

This word “Discipline” is defined by Webster as: “1. Punishment 2. obsolete Instruction 3. A field of study 4. Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.” In their Children’s Dictionary, “Discipline” is defined as “Strict training that corrects or strengthens mental ability or moral character.” That defines what we want to teach in the dojo. My training for half marathons fulfills the role of reinforcing the importance of my own discipline in training and conditioning my body. Last year, I focused 50% of my energy on my day job, raising Kanoe, and being a good girlfriend; 35% of my energy on opening up the new studio; and 15% of my energy on my own training. I would never approve of one our students only putting in 15% of their energy towards training and I had been very down on myself for that. But life was filled with many barriers taking up my time after November. December’s calendar listed business trips, a halau Christmas concert performance, the dojo Christmas party, and SuperGrands. Honest reasons but not good excuses for being less than disciplined on my training.

I already mentioned what January felt like for us. And it all led to depression and health issues for us. We are focusing on getting his blood pressure under control and managing his blood sugars to get off of medication. That takes discipline on both of our parts. I need to ensure that we have healthy meals to eat and lots of opportunities for exercise and healthy distractions. He must resist the temptation of sugary foods and drinks and the habit of mindless, late night snacking. This discipline is critical to his health. Our lives are so intertwined because we live together and we share the responsibilities of running the dojo. His health impacts my health and vice versa.

Our second core value for Togisala Shorin Ryu, “Respect” may sound simple. The word is used every day in formal and casual conversations. However, the dictionary defines this word as a noun that means, “A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.” In addition, as a verb, the definitions reads as, “Admire (someone or something) deeply, as result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.” What would that look like when one enters the dojo? Students must bow before they walk onto the mat to train. In addition, we bow to a photo of the late Sensei Rabago, who taught both Sensei Butch and me, of Rabago Shorin Ryu. Before we start class to stretch and warm-up, we show respect by bowing to our Sensei and Sempai. In addition, students must bow to one another while doing partner drills together. If they are sparring, tapping gloves shows respect that each student will show good sportsmanship. Winning is always celebrated with Respect. Show-boating when winning is frowned upon. Crying when losing is also not allowed. We want to teach our students to Respect the lesson in each match or each drill. Showing courtesy by using the words, “thank you” and “please” also builds Respect. Having such Respect starts with Discipline. Many children start martial arts at such a young age that they don’t consciously understand these concepts but I trust that consistency and setting a good example will allow them to internalize these lessons.

But a more difficult value to teach and learn is the word, “Humility.” I am going to spend more time processing this definition and tying it to our teaching at Togisala Shorin Ryu. Look for a new blog post building on this one soon. I need to go tend to our new puppy. I want to name her “Kihon” (look up this Japanese word, if you don’t know what it means).

By the time I staggered out of bed this morning, my daughter was already wide awake, dressed for school and eating breakfast. She was rocking her white Chucks and her million dollar smile bright and early at 7:00a.m. today. And my boyfriend had been out of the house for at least an hour, maybe two. I remember feeling his butterfly kisses across my cheeks and nose early this morning, and heard his sweet whisper, “Ok Lovely, have good day. I love you. See you soon.” After hitting the snooze button twice, I dragged myself to the bathroom to shower and get ready for a long day.

As I stood in front of my closet, draped in my pastel pink leopard printed robe, I contemplated what to wear. How do I make a fashion decision on what to wear when my day would consist of the following: work, conference call, funeral at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach, a career counseling phone call with a colleague/friend, my annual visit to the gynecologist, and back to work at the Toyota Automotive Museum for an event to launch the 2016 Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks with 75 D&I practitioners from across Los Angeles. What shoes does one wear for such a busy, action-packed day? I opted for a chic but comfortable color-blocked tan, cream, and black sheath with a tan blazer on top. It felt fashionable and conservative without being too churchy and boring. During the day I wore my sensible wedges with my sexy color blocked heels safely tucked away in my car for tonight. There is something about an evening event that just requires sexy heels.

The environment at work has been one of turmoil and change. One of my dearest mentors and former bosses is retiring in about a week. I’ve asked colleague to send cards, photos and notes of gratitude to me so I can paste them into a scrapbook of Memories for Midge. I don’t know how to scrapbook but I’ve got scissors, non-acid glue, colored paper, and an album. Hope it all turns out ok.

Thinking about her retirement and my eventual separation from my place of employment has me feeling sentimental. My buddies at work have already relocated to North Texas so my days at work are much more subdued and quiet. I feel like my friends are gone and that makes for a lot less fun during the workday.

Yesterday, I opened my email and read that one of my colleagues and friends who worked on a huge diversity project with me over the past ten years passed away and her funeral would happen this morning. She will be laid to rest on Friday. I know she has been fighting cancer for years and had spent months at a stretch on medical leave, undergoing various treatments and somehow defying her doctors’ expectations and recovering each time. But I haven’t worked with her for several months and literally just discovered that she had passed away one week ago today.

Death is a part of life, right? We are put on this earth to contribute somehow by living a full and productive life. Some of us teach, some of us work, and others of us take care of the planet and the planet inhabitants unselfishly and freely. But cancer. Why do some people have to fight against a disease like cancer to have the strength to teach, to work, and to give freely? It doesn’t seem fair that the people who seem the most generous and selfless have to fight against cancer. Why don’t more assholes and racists and bigots and misogynists and murderers and pedophiles get cancer? Why do the nicest people get hit with one of the cruelest diseases?

Cancer make no sense to me. Wikipedia says that Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Not all tumors are cancerous; benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they may have other causes. Over 100 cancers affect humans. I think about all of the loved ones my family has lost to cancer. I think about my dear friends who are fighting against cancer right now, as I typed these words across my Kensington keyboard. The article goes on to say that 15% of deaths are caused by cancer. Cancer also increased the risk of anxiety and depression in patients who already have a propensity for it. I hate cancer.

The funeral was filled with choir songs, as my friend was an extremely talented singer who loved all kinds of music. The young priest talked about how even though we are mourning, today would be about the celebration of life and reconnecting with our faith, as my friend stood strong in her religious beliefs. Even though funerals suck the energy out of me, I think it was good for me to attend Mass today. I thanked God for my many blessings, I prayed for the health of my family and friends, and I sat still for over an hour. A few minutes of meditation did me good today, as the world is in turmoil around us. I sat still and remembered my friend and was reminded that cancer sucks, life is short, and we must Live Aloha all in, every day.

At the top of the meeting today, my boss introduced me to the entire group as a hard-working leader, dedicated LGBT Ally, and the “moral compass” of the department. That struck me as a bit of a surprise. According to the dictionary, the phrase “moral compass” is used in reference to a person’s ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly.

An image of Season 5 Glenn Rhee from “The Walking Dead” popped into my head. His character always worked to find the win win solution or to avoid unnecessary violence on the show. Glenn put his family and loved ones first but never intentionally harmed another character. In the show, Glenn played the role of level-headed thinker and worked hard to keep peace for his group. (I really can’t help myself. I nerd out over “The Walking Dead”, “Star Wars”, and “Game of Thrones” while I’m at work.)

The interesting thing is, as I considered what “moral compass” meant, I remembered what happened when my Kumu gave our class Hawaiian names. Everyone had pretty names that started with the letter “K”. We had “Kaleikamaka” and “Kalani Ki’e Ki’e” and “Kapualani”, amongst other names. My given Hawaiian name was different from everyone else, “Pi’ilaniwahine”. When I asked what my name meant, Uncle Randy replied, “I see you as someone who works very hard, hula doesn’t necessarily come easy to you. You also always want to do the right thing and help others. So your name breaks down like this: Pi’i = to ascend; Lani = heaven; wahine = woman. Pi’ilani was the last king of Maui so ‘wahine’ is important to your name. You also always fight for equality for women. So, your name means: ‘The woman who ascends to heaven and achieves greatness.'” At the time, my name felt like big shoes to fill. It was a surprise to hear that he saw me as a person who always does the right thing. I fought for the underdog, I believed in equality and integrity. These days, I don’t even consider the deeper meaning of my name, I just love it because it is mine.

As I reflect on the past eighteen months and all the change that our dojo has endured, being a moral compass becomes even more notable. We have experienced betrayal and uncovered dishonesty from people we once trusted. We have also seen loyalty dissipate in a flash. But instead of lashing out by taking an eye for an eye approach, I believe that living with respect and acting with integrity is the right approach. Team Togisala will rebuild by staying focused on our goals to teach karate, drill basics, and develop champions.

To anyone who has knocked one of us down or stolen what isn’t yours, you cannot break us. When you point your finger at us in judgment and accuse us of doing something wrong, take a look at how many fingers are pointing at you. And as you try to keep someone from our dojo under your thumb, look around. You are no match for the multiple pair of hands around us that lift us up. The true meaning of Dojo Ohana is to give and love with no expectations of receiving anything in return. Our Dojo Ohana crosses multiple martial arts disciplines and even crosses state lines. As much as you try to take take take from those who you once called your friends, you will always wind up alone. Even Zazou in “Lion King” knows, “Cheetahs never prosper.”

My boss may consider my role on the team as the “moral compass” But I believe in Living Aloha. Do not harm but take no shit. Family first and family is not limited to blood relatives. My moral compass is grounded in the values I learned through my martial arts journey: Respect, Discipline, Integrity, Perseverance, Humility. That’s what drives my moral compass.

Six Weeks of Travel = An Increase in Cortisol, a hormone that is not your friend when eating clean and living healthy is a goal.

Business travel is a privilege, not a burden. At least, that’s what I recite to myself when I my alarm goes off at 4:00am prompting me to stagger out the door, tumble into a cab (“no money, no honey”) and ride to LAX. I wrote those words to close out one of my last blog postings, 98 days ago. About a month ago, I wrote about receiving a box of costumes and a gi from Sensei Richard Rabago. The four year anniversary of his passing away is next week Tuesday. My body has crossed so many time zones and my heart has felt so many different emotions over these last several weeks that I can’t even think straight or process what I am feeling today.

At the beginning of 2016, I felt very healthy and stopped taking the blood pressure meds that my doctor has prescribed because of all the stress I took on with my job in 2015. My mindset had shifted to helping the company become positioned for a successful move instead of worrying about my personal career choice regarding Texas.

I had completed a personal fitness challenge to do a 10K and half marathon back to back in one weekend, which resulted in a personal best time for a half marathon.

One month after that, I passed my 2nd Kyu belt test in the dojo and began taking a more active role in teaching. All of that felt good and felt right.

And even though Uncle Randy’s health was up and down at the time, we were attending halau on a regular basis and that is also pono.

Today, in May, I feel unhealthy and off balance. Side effects that I am experiencing, lack of sleep and lack of exercise and a poor diet equal a few extra pounds have snuck onto my frame. All of my training for the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge resulted in a lean, fit physique and now, I’ve got a bit of fluff to shake off again. When I am diligent about eating clean, I have a much easier time sleeping. If one is not sleeping well, it creates a viscous cycle as the stress hormone cortisol builds up. Cortisol creates a “fight or flight” state within the body and increases one’s appetite. And, exhaustion means less motivation to exercise and less will power to eat clean. It also adds and more of a propensity to use sleeping pills or red wine to help with winding down before bedtime. Couple that with working in different time zones and not having easy access to clean, fresh snacks and BOOM! My okole grows once again.

This cortisol rush all started when my Uncle/Godfather passed away unexpectedly. He went into the hospital experiencing pain, was prepped for emergency surgery and didn’t survive. My own heart broke and when I thought about what my cousins must have been feeling, it shattered into even smaller pieces. Talking to my mom was hard because I didn’t want her to worry about my tears, as she felt truly devastated. Uncle Ray was her little brother, the jokester who always filled the room with laughter. And he was my Godfather, which added to our relationship. I love his children like my own siblings, growing up with them shaped my entire childhood. After the funeral, my life would move in and out of suitcase for a month and half.
Sandwiched in between mundane and necessary trips to meetings in our office in Plano, I’ve ventured out to Oklahoma to play pai gow. And my Ninja Bear ran his first 5K as a birthday present to me in San Diego where we squeezed in a trip to the local casino before rushing off to a tiny karate tournament.

The big highlight for this trip was seeing President Barack Obama as the keynote speaker at the APAICS Awards Gala dinner in Washington, D.C. Never mind that my company received a corporate award that evening, seeing POTUS speak live and in person, only 25 yards in front of me, that was a truly a once in a lifetime experience. He has been the President for my people. He built a diverse cabinet and pushed forward programs to help underserved communities. Now, he fights for immigration reform and true inclusion of the LGBT community.

Here is how he greeted the black tie crowd:

President Barack Obama is my president. He and his wife keep it real by singing and dancing (he cannot dance in his mom jeans) and living life as a happily married couple who love their children.

POTUS was funny, direct and personable in a Presidential but I can still kick with you kind of way.

I am in Week five of six straight weeks of business travel. My enthusiasm for work is waning. The announcement about my company moving to Texas happened two years ago. They made the announcement to all employees on April 28, 2014. Not the best way to celebrate a Birthday Eve. Anyway, a few of my work friends have retired, more of them have left the company and a couple of handfuls have already packed up their lives and moved to the Lone Star State. The office environment feels simultaneously tense and empty. Some of my colleagues are still agonizing over whether or not to move. I’m hearing that many people are asking my teammates if I am moving. I assume that people are asking behind my back they want my job, not because they care about me. And why wouldn’t they? I work in a fantastic position – direct communication to the senior most level of the company, decision making power on which non-profit organizations to sponsor, and I have responsibility to create an environment where all people have a voice and can thrive at work.

After next week, we need to make some decisions about the dojo. Shortly after that, my Ninja Bear goes to court to move closer to finalizing his divorce. And I hope to sleep for more than 8 hours at a stretch. Clean eating and moving more will commence shortly thereafter.